I thought it was “Parlay” as well, but apparently that’s a gambling move of some sort. The meeting sort is spelled “parley” according to Dictionary.com. (Thanks to my wife for pointing this out before I integrated the wrong version into my comic.)

I’d like to see Shamus’ biography on the players of these characters – -I’m sure Shamus has one worked up (they may even be based on people he knows or composites thereof.) The guy playing Legolas is just as clueless as they come (rather like Orlando Bloom, but I digress.) The byplay between him and whoever is running Gimli is a heck of a lot funnier than the rather lame comic relief these two characters were used for in the films.

Shamus, thanks for the great comic. My wife died of cancer on May 21 and this is the first I’ve gotten back to the site. The hilarity has thankfully ensued since then. Being able to laugh again (heartily, no less) is precious to me right now. So, keep it up. I can use three good laughs a week. It sure helps to heal.

My bride was a huge LOTR fan and enjoyed playing D&D/C&C with our group. She would have appreciated this “adventure” through LOTR had she been healthy. Again, keep it up!

More brilliantosity from Shamus. “Helm’s Keep” hah! Loved the “ye stab-happy nitwit!” from Gimli. But as so many others have pointed out, what happened to Aragorn’s laser-focus on the treasure?

What I love about the Aragorn character is that the player has not yet grasped that upon ending this campaign he, Aragorn, will be the KING of the GREATEST KINGDOM IN MIDDLE EARTH. He’s wanting to root around in some dungeon hoping to find a Ring of Animal Control and a sack of gold and silver coins, while the DM is saying “you have a whole country to win back!”

I can almost hear the player saying “I understand that Mr. DM guy, but you don’t understand! It’s more FUN to find it in a dungeon!”

For all the faults people have picked with the LotR movies, this sequence is the only one that really gave me trouble (and not for the same reasons others have said here). It was the bit where Aragorn goes off-book to engage the King o’ the Undead in swordplay, ending with his sword at the King’s throat.

Exactly what threat was posed by this, even assuming Narsil could do real damage to these chaps instead of just whistling through ’em?

The King was cursed to endless undeadism. Try and cut his head off and there are two possible outcomes: a) Nothing, in which case the Ghost King is undamaged in any way and 2) Death, for which the Ghost King has been yearning for centuries.

This would seem to be a win-win situation for the ghosts and brown-pantaloon time for the three amigos.

And nope, the skullfall didn’t bother me at all. I thought it rather a nice D&D touch in fact.

Shamus has used the scene brilliantly and once more dredged up a classic D&D situation – the “player underestimation of the actual danger to the character” one that plagues so many combat-heavy campaigns. Nicely done that man.

“Exactly what threat was posed by this, even assuming Narsil could do real damage to these chaps instead of just whistling through “˜em?”

I never saw that as a threat per se. Rather, the fact that Narsil was capable of stopping his sword proved that Aragorn was, indeed, the only person who could end their curse. Threatening gestures with his sword after are just to underscore his power over them, not a real threat of violence.

And, since this is my first comment here, I’d be remiss not to say how terrific this comic, which I’ve been following for some time, has uniformly been. Bravo!

Aragorn: Whoooooaaah!
Legolas: No no no, it’s “Whooooaaaa” from the back of the throat.
Aragorn: No I mean, “Whoooouuuuaaah!” as in surprise and alarm.
Gimli: Oh, you mean like, “AAAHH!”
Aragorn: Yes, that’s it. “AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

Hey Shamus,
first post for me here, but I’ve read this from beginning to end. Love the comic. Your comic timing is pretty good. Especially love your screen caps! Somehow you always manage to get just the right one for that character’s speech. Though I bet you must be *really* sick of the Rings movies by now huh? :)

I agree with Dodd; Aragorn demonstrated that he was unlike anyone else who had previously tried to pass. Hence, the look on the Ghost-King’s face when Aragorn grabbed him by the throat and his hand DIDN’T pass through him.

Legolas forgets that they’re missing Gandalf, the one person in Middle Earth who might possibly have the Turn Undead ability. Are there even Clerics in ME? I don’t remember Tolkien ever mentioning a priest of any sort.

“Shamus Says:I hate when I am obliged to cope with the consequences of my own sloth. Sigh.”

Shamus's Mum: Well, young man, you had BETTER take care of that sloth! And don’t you sigh at me! You promised it would be different this time, not like when you begged for that goanna ! And don't get me started on the poor ocelot!